Industry News
On November 26, 2024, Castle Mountain Resort (Castle) in Alberta, Canada, announced it would be opening a new chairlift for the 2025-26 season. Nestled in the South Canadian Rockies, the resort is a long-time favorite of local Alberta skiers. The commencement of this new project marks a new chapter in the nearly 60-year history of this beloved Canadian ski destination.
Castle Mountain Resort opened to the public in 1965 with multiple T-bar lifts. In 1998, the mountain got its first chairlift after a change of ownership. The resort took on its current shape in 2006 when the new Huckleberry triple chairlift enabled access to new terrain on Mount Haig. The opening of Mount Haig in 2006 also marked the beginning of Castle’s Powder Stagecoach cat skiing service on Haig Ridge above the Huckleberry chair.
Over this summer, Castle Mountain Resort acquired the old Angel Express Quad chair from Banff’s Sunshine Village. Sunshine Village will be replacing the quad with the new cutting-edge six-pack bubble chair that features heated seats and is set to open this winter. The old Angel Express Quad chair will undergo significant mechanical and operational upgrades before being installed as the new Haig 1 Lift during the 2025 off-season. Some preliminary work has already begun, however, the bulk of the project will be finished after the 2024-25 winter season.
The Haig 1 Lift project is sure to be one of Castle’s largest mountain infrastructure investments to date. It will also be the first new lift installation at the resort since the Huckleberry Chair was completed in 2006. The new Haig 1 Chair will be Castle’s first express chair and its only quad chair. The project however is only temporarily titled Haig 1 as the resort plans to invite input from guests and stakeholders to select a permanent name.
The new chairlift is set to expand Castle’s lift-serviced skiable area by more than 25%. The majority of this terrain is currently accessible only via Castle’s Powder Stagecoach Cat Skiing service. Dean Parkinson Castle’s General Manager explained: “The terrain that will soon be available to all has been well loved by our cat skiing guests for over a decade, primarily for its deep snow and great skiing. We are excited to finally be opening up this terrain for everyone to enjoy.”
Currently, Castle Mountain is Alberta’s second largest ski resort, with 3,592 skiable acres of terrain. The mountain has 95 trails and operates two triple chairs, two double chairs, one T-bar, and one Magic Carpet. The resort base is at 4,675 feet and its summit is at 7,529 feet for a vertical of over 2,800 feet, averaging 335 inches of snow per year. With lots more coming thanks to the new Haig 1 Castle Mountain have lots to be excited for in the near future!
